The present invention relates to a press installation having a drawing stage and working stages, and has a press frame having press supports, a press bed, headpieces, and turnbuckles that rigidly connect the press supports, the press bed and the headpieces with one another. Such a press installation also has slides for forming, a transfer device providing a transfer movement of workpieces between the working stages, and driving devices that provide a moving drive of the slides and the transfer device.
Press installations of this type are used for the farming of sheet metal parts in a first working stage constructed as a drawing stage and additional working stages which follow the drawing stage. The forming takes place by means of very high forces which are applied by the driving elements, are transmitted by the slides and the tool top parts to the sheet metal parts and tool bottom parts and the press bed and must be absorbed by the press frame as a whole. In addition, non-uniform changes in shape on the workpiece result in eccentric stresses on tools and slides.
It is known from German Patent Documents DE-31 43 690 C2 and DE-33 28 631 C2 to guide press slides on the press frames This is a measure which makes high demands on the guiding of the slides and the dimensioning of the press frames.
In the German Patent Document DE 33 22 377 C2, a press frame of a mechanically driven large-piece transfer press is described in which cross traverses are individual components of the press frames. Two headpieces exist for receiving the driving devices for two slides which are supported on press supports or their cross traverses as well as two press beds. The press is therefore not a uniform static whole. The slides can be moved up and down in the frame areas on the cross traverses in guides. The working area is interrupted by press supports.
In contrast to the above, an object of the present invention to provide a stable and compact and, on the whole, shorter press installation while press supports as well as intermediate depositing in the central working areas are omitted. Another object of the present invention is to provide a press in which the headpieces are supported on the two longitudinal traverses.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides a press installation having a drawing stage and working stages, comprising a press frame having press supports, a press bed, headpieces, and turnbuckles that rigidly connect the press supports, the press bed, and the headpieces with one another. The press installation also has slides for forming, a transfer device providing a transfer movement of workpieces between the working stages, and driving devices that provide a moving drive of the slides and the transfer device. A longitudinal traverse respectively extends in front of and behind the slides in the longitudinal dimension of the press installation, the longitudinal traverses each extending along the length of at least the working stages. One pair of the press supports is arranged behind the drawing stage and in front of the working stages, and another pair of the press supports is arranged behind the working stages, with one of the press supports being situated locally in front of the slides and another of the press supports being situated locally behind the slides, the longitudinal traverses being supported on the press supports and braced by the turnbuckles. Vertically extending guides are arranged on the longitudinal traverses, in which guides at least the slides of the working stages are disposed with complementary guides so that the slides are vertically moveable.
A special advantage of the present invention is the cost-effective design of the press installation while increasing the stability. This increased stability leads to a significant simplification of the drive in the transfer movement.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.